Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

येषां मृत्युर्मनुष्याणां जायते सर्पभक्षणात् । न तेषां जायते मुक्तिः प्रेतभावात्कथंचन

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ mṛtyurmanuṣyāṇāṃ jāyate sarpabhakṣaṇāt | na teṣāṃ jāyate muktiḥ pretabhāvātkathaṃcana

Translation

جن انسانوں کی موت سانپ کے ڈسنے سے واقع ہو، اُن کے لیے کسی طرح بھی مکتی (نجات) پیدا نہیں ہوتی، کیونکہ وہ پریت بھاؤ، یعنی بھٹکتی ہوئی روح کی حالت میں جا پڑتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of men/humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्पभक्षणात्: from snake-biting/consumption (by a snake)
• सर्पभक्षणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (Negation particle/निषेध)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेतभावात्: from the state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतभावात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• कथंचन: in any way/at all
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात-समुच्चय (emphatic particle: 'at all/ever')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ahisambhava-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of the twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dim liminal scene: a departed soul in preta-bhāva near a cremation ground, while a serpent’s shadow looms—emphasizing the need for ritual release.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa (serpent)
• Preta
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain deaths are treated as spiritually disruptive; without proper remedial rites, the departed is described as remaining in preta-bhāva rather than attaining release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the chapter’s focus on a Nāga/ahi-related tīrtha where corrective rites are to be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it sets up the need for śrāddha/remedial ceremonies described in the next verse.